- Interested in helping out RGL and being a part of the staff team? Open staff positions and applications for SUMMER 2024 can be viewed here.

- Click here to complete S17 Post-Season Survey #1! Survey closes in on Apr 9th @ 11:59PM EDT!

- Click here to complete RGL LAN 2024 Survey! Survey closes in Apr 7th @ 11:59PM EDT!

RGL Summer Staff Updates, Global Rule Updates, March/April 2022 Bans, and More

   exa   - 5/21/2022
Past monthly articles: January
February
March


RGL Plugin and Config Updates



  • The fix self-damage on reflected projectiles has been added to the RGL plugin and will be used moving forward. (Survey Results: 156 - Yes, 47 - No)

Servers with the RGL plugin will have the files automatically updated on the server. We'll be working to ensure that Serveme and Qixalite servers also run the latest versions.

Installation for the latest version of the RGL plugins and configs can be found here.


Staff Updates


  • Mistilteinn and ire have stepped down from their positions on the Prolander admin team.
  • WiLLmaTiC, ire, and Wize have stepped down from their positions on the Highlander admin team.
  • Scream, je'mond, and dave2 have stepped down from their positions on the 6s admin team.

We would like to thank them for their work and time spent volunteering and wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors. As a result of these staff changes, we are looking for mature, driven individuals who can help us continue to deliver a great platform to ever greater players.


The updated staff list is as follows:

6v6


Division Admins:

Division Moderators:

Highlander


Division Admins:

Division Moderators:



Global Rule Updates



[1006.2.4] - Newcomer Division Guidelines is not adding anything new but is being updated to make the guidelines for Newcomer clearer. It should be reiterated that Newcomer 6s players that have placed top 4-6 in playoffs are not allowed to play in Newcomer Highlander. Amateur 6s players are not allowed to play in Newcomer Highlander.



[1010.1.4] - Casted Matches Cancellations is being updated to include that the rule applies only if teams are given at least a 12-hour notice that their match will be casted by a production organization.


[1006.3.3] - Sandbagging and Class Restriction Guidelines is being updated to address further edge cases regarding new player roster transactions, players switching teams, and how class restrictions are handled for Advanced qualifiers.


[1008.5] - POV and STV Demos is being updated to address the wording for how subsequent demo failures are handled for playoffs.


[1008.4.1] - Default Server Region is not adding anything new but is being updated to make it clearer that the server location must be located in the default region of play.


[1006.1] - Team Names, Tags, and Avatars is being updated to cover that team names referencing a sponsor or brand that operates in the TF2 scene are not permitted.



[1008.9] - Pauses is being updated to decrease the pause limit from 15 minutes to 5 minutes. [1008.6] - Match Punctuality is being updated to decrease the time between halves/halftime from 15 minutes to 10 minutes. This is to address edge cases with teams intentionally delaying games, to increase punctuality by resuming the game more quickly, as well as align the maximum limit with the standards that other TF2 leagues have.


[1003.3] - Game Exploits is being updated to include recoloring the overheal particles.


[1006.5] - Roster Move-Ups is being updated to outline how match points are handled for teams that are moved up a division during the beginning of the season.


[1002.4] - Probation is not adding anything new but is being updated to make it clearer when probation can be lifted. This information was previously found in the appeal form.


[1007.2.4] - Fraud is not adding anything new but has been stylistic and formatting edits to improve readability.


Swapping Medigun and Weapon Trick/Strategy


It had come to our attention that there is a trick/strategy where a medic can cancel an uber by swapping their medigun with a different medigun (using a spy to disguise as a friendly medic and feign with the dead ringer to drop a medigun) that is on the ground. This can also be performed with a medigun dropped by the opposing medic during a match. Additionally, this mechanic allows players to swap to different weapons dropped on the ground by a spy with the dead ringer feign. The RGL team wanted to clarify the use of this and its legality moving forward.

"Before the "Meet Your Match" TF2 update, mediguns would not decay ubercharge percentage when dropped. The medigun charge still decays correctly, even when you drop a medigun with uber popped. The discussion should be more focused on whether a shift in meta should be allowed in regards to a dead ringer spy being allowed to drop a medigun that you can pick up.

The dead ringer spy dropping an empty medigun is an intended game design to ensure the disguise is not instantly given away by dropping a spy weapon/nothing at all. The spy even drops an empty ammo box to further sell the idea that whoever you just killed is dead.

If intended game mechanics were not functioning accurately, it would not be a discussion and would be banned immediately under the [1003.3] - Game Exploits. Since all the features regarding weapon drops/weapon pickups/medigun decay/etc., have all been functional since “Gun Metal” and then iterated upon in “Meet Your Match”, this is more of an admin discussion on whether a potential "meta shift" should be allowed rather than disallowing clearly and fully functional game design.

RGL Anticheat Team

As the RGL AC team's stance is that it will not fall under game exploits/anti-cheat, the discussion becomes whether a game mechanic should be disabled. Historically, RGL has operated on a stance of allowing intended mechanics to be used in matches, as well as promoting people to experiment with them. It is also a factor of the overall impact that these mechanics have in matches as speedshots, wallbugs, and edgebugs (to name a few) are listed as permitted in the RGL rules. It is also a question of if it is logistically possible to also enforce them consistently and fairly, as well as worded properly in the rules to avoid ambiguity with interpretation. For these reasons, the swapping medigun to cancel an uber or swap to a weapon dropped by a dead ringer feign will not be banned or removed from match play.


RGL Team Logos Test Rollout - Advanced Division


RGL is looking to expand team logos to non-Invite divisions starting with Advanced. This is meant to be a slow initial rollout to help address several logistical factors such as admins currently having to manually upload the logo for a specific team page, streamlining the process between teams and logo requests, and ensuring the image follows a certain quality and appropriate guidelines, as well as allowing for our staff teams to review and approve submitted logos. This may be accompanied by new site updates to better automate this process to reduce the workload on the side of the staff team. The rollout will be starting with Advanced for the upcoming seasons of RGL and submitted logos must follow the below guidelines:

GUIDELINES

  • Teams must have at least two of the previous three seasons together under the same name.
  • No photos. SFM must be filtered/posterized.
  • No depictions of players/staff unless you have explicit consent from them.
  • Must not break any RGL global rules and community guidelines.
  • Must not toe the line around sensitive/offensive topics
  • You must have the right to use the images on the logo. Copyright within the scene is likely always going to get rejected.
  • Should have a team name, tag, or reference (Logo could be rejected if it contains misleading text)

TECHNICAL GUIDELINES:

  • Logos must be 1000px x 1000px (logo centered, it should fill up most or all of the 1000x1000pxs)
  • PNG with transparent background
  • Must have white/black outline or plaque (RGL GFX department can help with this)

Qualifying Invite and Advanced teams may fill out the form here.


Bans


These bans were enacted before the release of this article. If you would like to file a report, you can do so on our site here. Appeals can also be found on the same page.

NOTE: We only look at user-submitted reports. If you do not file a report, then there is a good chance we have not seen it and cannot deal with the situation.


Alting


The following alternate account(s) have been caught connected to existing accounts in RGL by the RGL Anti-cheat team and will be banned:




Probation


The following players have been banned and placed on probation:

  • Buttface - Use of racist slurs and comments, as well as an inappropriate alias during an RGL match. - 2-months
  • DoofedUpWiener - Repeated use of racist slurs and comments during an RGL match. - 3-months

Update on the player(s) that have been banned while on probation:

  • sandstoner - Violation of [1002.4.2] - Permanently banned players in a scrimmage (2x). - 3-weeks (3rd ban inside on RGL, 1st ban on probation)
  • cellophane flowers - Violation of [1002.4.2] - Permanently banned players in a scrimmage (2x). - 3-weeks (3rd ban inside on RGL, 1st ban on probation)
  • adrenochromeADDICT - Use of a racial slur during a scrim. - 3-Months (4th ban inside on RGL, 1st ban on probation)
  • glimmer - Use of a racial slur during a casted RGL match. - 9-Months (4th ban inside on RGL, 1st ban on probation)

After the minimum period has been served, the player(s) can appeal to have the ban lifted if they can show that they've improved themselves and how they interact within the community.


League


  • semiperf - Violation of [1002.4.2] - Permanently banned players in a scrimmage - 1-Week



Sportsmanship and Spirit


The following player(s) have/had been suspended for 1-6 weeks for their usage of racist slurs, homophobic or transphobic language, excessive toxicity, flaming, or derogatory language on our platforms. Repeat offenders will get longer ban lengths.

  • asesino_felipe44 - Use of a racial slur during an RGL match. ​- 2-Weeks / First Offense
  • agb - Use of a homophobic slur during a scrim. Increased sentence as an Invite player. - 3-Weeks / First Offense
  • PENGUIN_MASTER - Use of a homophobic slur during an RGL match. An increased sentence for Invite players. - 3-Weeks / First Offense
  • Zam - Anti-Semitic comments during an RGL casted match. Delayed ban for the start of Sixes Season 9. - 1-Month / First Offense
  • rightnow - Use of a homophobic slur on an RGL platform. Increased length due to past discipline history. ​- 3-Months / Second Offense
  • degnan - Inappropriate and vulgar comments during an RGL match. Use of a homophobic slur during a scrim. ​- 4-Months / Second Offense



Demos


The following player(s) have failed to provide a requested demo. The first offense during the regular season will be a warning. A second offense during the regular season or the first offense during playoffs will lead to suspensions.

  • Lem Mem - Failure to submit demos - Automatic 2nd offense (Offense occurred in a playoff match, see [1008.5] - POV and STV Demos) // 2-weeks
  • kabewm - Failure to submit demos - Automatic 2nd offense (Offense occurred in a playoff match, see [1008.5] - POV and STV Demos) // 2-weeks
  • Krusty - Failure to Submit Demos: 1st Offense & Passing off a wrong demo as their own POV in a fraud attempt. - 2-weeks
  • Vacket - Failure to Submit Demos: 1st Offense & Passing off a wrong demo as their own POV in a fraud attempt. - 2-weeks



VAC Ban


The following account(s) has been banned for having VAC bans that may be affecting TF2. If you have a VAC ban for a game that is not TF2, please contact an admin to get the ban removed.




You can read further details and context about each of the player's bans by viewing their discipline history on their RGL profile.


Forum Thread